A multidisciplinary approach that encompasses a variety of component specialties, interventional pain management includes disciplines such as anesthesiology, neurology, physiatry, neurosurgery and radiology.

According to ASIPP, Dr. Hirsch was the Executive Committee's unanimous choice and is an "outstanding person" for this role. While selection of a radiologist is unusual for this post, Dr. Hirsch has long championed the concept of multidisciplinary care. He is also a pioneer of minimally invasive spine surgery, which is offered in the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"I am both honored and humbled to have been chosen to serve as the next editor-in-chief of Pain Physician," said Dr. Hirsch. "The progress of this journal has been exceptional...and the future offers the opportunity of even greater growth and achievement." The journal achieved a 2011 impact factor of 10.77, reflecting the citation density of its articles. Impact factors are considered a measure of quality, and those over 10 are recognized as extremely high.

Dr. Hirsch has been a member of the Mass General Department of Radiology for over a decade where he serves as Vice Chief of Interventional Care and Director of the Neuroendovascular Program. He is a founding editor of the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery and serves on the editorial advisory board of Neurosurgery.

Dr. Hirsch is the immediate past president of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery, member-at-large of the American Society of Spine Radiology as well as a councilor and fellow of the American College of Radiology. He serves on the nominating committee of the American Society of Neuroradiology, on the board of the GRIBOI international conference and as advisor to a committee of the American Medical Association that provides recommendations on Medicare payments. He was recently invited to also serve on the medical advisory board of the Niekro Foundation.